Mechanical pencil



Aug. l5, 1944. H. s. HAssELQuls'r 2,355,914

' MECHANICAL PENCIL 'Filed sept. 12, 1942 Y Patented Aug. 15, 1944 MECHANICAL PENCL Hugo S. Hasselquist, Oak Park, Ill'., assignor to Joseph Dixon Crucible Company, Jersey City, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application September 12, 1942, Serial No; 458,111

(Cl. 1Z0-18) 8 Claims.

This invention relates to mechanical pencils.

More particularly stated, the invention relates to feeding means for feeding the lead in a mechanical pencil.

`The invention has for its salientobjectto provide a mechanical pencil that is simple and practical in construction, comprises a minimum number of parts, and can be economically manufactured. Y

Another object of the invention is to provide a mechanical pencil structure in which thelead carrying and guiding tube can be easily withdrawn from the pencil body for refilling.

Another object of the invention is to provide a mechanical pencil structure in which the feed plunger moves to inoperative position when it reaches the outer limit of feeding movement, permitting the complete withdrawal of the lead carrying or supporting and guiding tube and plunger from the pencil body or barrel for rell- Further objects of the invention will appear from the following specication taken in connection with the drawing which forms a part of this application, and in which Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of a pencil constructed in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of the lower end of the pencil shown in Fig. 1;

. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional elevation on an enlarged scale taken substantially on line 3-3 of Fig. 1; `and ,Y Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional elevation taken substantially on line 4--4 of Fig. 2.

In the particular embodiment of the invention illustrated, the pencil comprises a barrel or bodyA IIJ within which is mounted a sleeve II having an internal spiral groove I2.

At the outer or lower end of the barrel there is mounted a tip I3 having a flange I4 which receives the lower end or outer end of the pencil body I0. I 5 which extends into the outer end of the sleeve II. At its other end the pencil tip has a reduced tubular portion I 6 which is preferably providedwith an inwardly extending slit Il.

The pencil illustrated in this application is provided with propelling or feeding means for the lead but this feeding means is not arranged in such a manner that the lead can be retracted.

A tube 2|! is carried by a cylindrical plug 2I which in turn is secured to or formed on a head or cap 22. The head or cap 22 restsI against the outer end of the barrel or body I0 and the plug The pencil tip has a tubular portion` 2l extends into a recess 23 formed in the pencil body.

The tube 2E! forms the guiding and supportingmeans for the lead and has a longitudinal slot or channel 25 formed therein. A plunger 2B is mounted in the tube 2li and has one end bent laterally as shown at 2l and provided with a head itil. The .head 23, as shown particularly in Fig. 3, normally rests on the outer surface of the tube 2U and is disposed in the spiral groove I2 of the sleeve I I.

As the head or cap 22 and the tube 2li carried thereby are rotated relative to the body Ill, the plunger 26 will move longitudinally in the tube 2i) and feed the lead 3B through the tube and through the tip I3. The reduced end l@ of the tip forms a friction grip for the lead which permits the feeding of the lead therethrough but prevents the lead from dropping out of the pencil.

The pencil is so constructed that the cap or head 22 and lead supporting and guiding tube 20 can be completely withdrawn from the pencil body or barrel for refilling purposes when the lead has been exhausted. This is accomplished in the following manner.

As shown particularly in Fig. 2, the wall of the tube 20 is cut away at 3l by inclined cuts, these cuts leading to substantially flat ledges 32. attention being particularly directed to Figs. 2 and 4. When the tube has been rotated to the 4position shown in Fig. 2, the plunger head automatically moves to the level of the ledges 32 being retracted fromthe groove I2 in the internal surface of the sleeve II. As shown in Fig. 4, the head is thus retracted to a position disposed substantially within the circumference or outer perimeter of the tube 2l! and thus the tube can be withdrawn longitudinally from the sleeve II and from the body or barrel of the pencil. As a matter of fact, this can also be accomplished, if desired, for any reason, before the lead has been fed to its outer limit of feeding movement by the plunger since as the tube 2li is withdrawn longitudinally the channel 25 in the tube will move longitudinally relative to the portion 21 of the plunger until the cut away 4portion 3l, i2 has been reached, whereupon the head will drop out of the spiral tube and the complete withdrawal of the tube and plunger is permitted.

From the foregoingspecication it will be evi.- dent that a simple, practical' andeconomical form of pencil has been designed and that by reason of the details of the construction described it is possible to entirely withdraw the pencil feeding and guiding tube and plunger carried thereby after the lead has been exhausted and it becomes necessary to rell the tube. After the tube is Withdrawn the plunger is again moved back to the starting endof the channel to permit the insertion of a new lead. 'Ihe tube and plunger are then again inserted in the sleeve l I and barrel lll and the cap or head 22 is rotated to again initiate the feeding movement.

Although one specific embodiment of the invention has been particularly shown and described, it will be understood that the invention is capable of modification and that changes in the construction and in the arrangement of the various' cooperating parts may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention, as expressed in the following claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a mechanical pencil, a casing having an internal spiral thread, a plunger having a head arranged to engage the thread and arranged for longitudinal and lateral movement in the casing, and guide means in the casing having an eX- ternal surface arranged to support and hold the plunger head in operative engagement with the spiral thread and having another outer surface arranged to permit lateral movement of the plunger head to release the head from the thread and to support said head in a position out of engagement with said spiral thread, said guide means being Withdrawable from the casing in all positions of movement of the plunger.

2. In a mechanical pencil, a casing having an internal spiral thread, a plunger having a head arranged to engage the thread and arranged for longitudinal and lateral movement in the casing, and slotted guide means in the casing arranged to support the head on the outer surface thereof and to hold the plunger head in operative engagement with the spiral thread and having another outer surface, at the outer end of the feeding movement of the plunger, arranged to permit lateral movement of the head to release the head from the thread and to support said head in a position out of engagement with said spiral thread, said guide means being Withdrawable from the casing in all positions of movement of the plunger.

3. In a mechanical pencil, a barrel having a spiral groove therein, a lead supporting and guiding member therein having a longitudinal slot extending substantially throughout the length thereof, a lead feeding plunger having a head and having a portion extending through said slot and movable longitudinally in the guiding member. and laterally relative thereto, said guiding member having its outer surface constructed `to engage the plunger head for supporting the head in engagement With the groove, to permit disengagement of the head from the groove and to support the head out of engagement with the groove.

4. In a mechanical pencil, a barrel having a spiral groove therein, a tube in said barrel extending substantially throughout the length of the barrel, said tube having a slot extending longitudinally therein substantially throughout the length thereof, a lead feeding plunger in the tube having a portion extending through the slot, and coacting means on the plunger and tube disposed outside the tube for holding means on the plunger in operative engagement With the spiral groove, for permitting disengagement of the plunger means from the groove and for supporting said means out of operative engagement with the groove.

5. In a mechanical pencil, a barrel, a member therein having a spiral groove, a lead supporting and guiding tube in said member having a longitudinal channel therein extending substantially throughout the length of the tube, a lead feeding plunger in said tube having a portion at one end extending through the channel of the tube, and a head on said portion adapted to rest on the outer surface of the tube and be positioned in said spiral groove, said tube being withdrawable from the barrel in all positions of movement of the plunger and having a portion of its plunger head supporting surface arranged to release the head from the groove as the tube is Withdrawn from the barrel.

6. In a mechanical pencil, a casing having an internal spiral thread, a channeled member therein, a plunger in the channeled member having a head adapted to rest on the'outer surface of the channeled member and arranged for longitudinal and lateral movement in the casing,`the outer surface of the channeled member having a portion arranged to hold the plunger head in operative engagement with the spiral thread, and a portion arranged to permit lateral movement of the head to release the head from the thread and to support the plunger head out of engagement with the thread.

7. In a mechanical pencil, a casing having an internal spiral thread, a channeled member therein, a plunger in the channeled member having a head adapted to rest on the outer surface of the channeled member and arranged for longitudinal and lateral movement in the casing, the outer surface of the channeled member having a plunger head supporting portion arranged to hold the plunger head in operative engagement with the spiral thread, and a portion arranged to permit lateral movement of the head to release the head from the thread and to support the plunger head out of engagement with the thread, said channeled member being withdrawable from the casing in all positions of movement of the plunger.

8. In a mechanical pencil, a barrel, a cap on one end thereof and a tip on the other end thereof, a member having a spiral groove disposed Within the barrel and extending substantially throughout the length thereof, a lead supporting and guiding tube disposed within the grooved member and extending from the cap to the tip, said tube having a longitudinal channel extending substantially throughout the length thereof, a lead feeding plunger in said tube having a portion at one end extending through the channel of the tube, and a head on said portion adapted to rest on the outer surface of the tube and be positioned in said spiral groove, said tube being withdravvable from the barrel in all positions of movement of the plunger and having a portion arranged to release the head from the groove as the tube is Withdrawn from the barrel and to support the plunger head out of engagement with the head.

HUGO S. HASSELQUIST. 

